NJ upbringing prepared me for Trump, Comey writes in new book

WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey credited his New Jersey upbringing for preparing him for dealing with President Donald Trump in his new book.

In "A Higher Loyalty," Comey compares Trump to a mafia don, and calls his leadership of the country "ego-driven and about personal loyalty."

He also reveals new details about his interactions with Trump and his own decision-making in handling the Hillary Clinton email investigation before the 2016 election. He casts Trump as a mobster-like figure who sought to blur the line between law enforcement and politics, and tried to pressure him personally regarding his investigation into Russian election interference.

In an excerpt posted by the Washington Post on its website, Comey wrote that getting wedgies, body shaming, and getting shoved into lockers while attending Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale prepared him for dealing with Trump's demand that he take a pledge of loyalty.

Bullies “threaten the weak to feed some insecurity that rages inside them ... Surviving a bully requires constant learning and adaptation. Which is why bullies are so powerful, because it’s so much easier to be a follower, to go with the crowd, to just blend in," Comey wrote.

The book will be released next week, but media outlets obtained copies ahead of time.

The book is highly critical of Trump and his presidency, describing him as shorter than he expected with a "too long" tie and "bright white half-moons" under his eyes that he suggests came from tanning goggles.

"Donald Trump's presidency threatens much of what is good in this nation," Comey writes, calling the administration a "forest fire" that can't be contained by ethical leaders within the government.